This article examines the security implications of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) sampling feature in the context of a widely used coding copilot application.
MCP is a standard for connecting large language model (LLM) applications to external data sources and tools. We show that, without proper safeguards, malicious MCP servers can exploit the sampling feature for a range of attacks. We demonstrate these risks in practice through three proof-of-concept (PoC) examples conducted within the coding copilot, and discuss strategies for effective prevention.
Read more…
Source: Palo Alto Unit 42
Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox
Related:
- FYI: Microsoft Office 365 Message Encryption relies on insecure block cipher
October 14, 2022
Microsoft Office 365 Message Encryption claims to offer a way “to send and receive encrypted email messages between people inside and outside your organization.” And according to WithSecure, it’s not fit for purpose: the encryption method employed, known as Electronic Codebook (ECB), is insecure for data with repeating patterns, such as plaintext or uncompressed images or ...
- New “Prestige” ransomware impacts organizations in Ukraine and Poland
October 14, 2022
The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) has identified evidence of a novel ransomware campaign targeting organizations in the transportation and related logistics industries in Ukraine and Poland utilizing a previously unidentified ransomware payload. MSTIC researchers observed this new ransomware, which labels itself in its ransom note as “Prestige ranusomeware”, being deployed on October 11 in ...
- The voting machine hacking threat you probably haven’t heard about
October 14, 2022
There’s a largely overlooked hacking target that could help those who want to sow doubt about vote tallies in the November midterms: cellular modems that transmit unofficial election-night results. The modems, which send vote data from precincts to central offices using cellphone networks, help election officials satisfy the public’s demand for rapid results. But putting any ...
- Ransom Cartel Ransomware: A Possible Connection With REvil
October 14, 2022
Ransom Cartel is ransomware as a service (RaaS) that surfaced in mid-December 2021. This ransomware performs double extortion attacks and exhibits several similarities and technical overlaps with REvil ransomware. REvil ransomware disappeared just a couple of months before Ransom Cartel surfaced and just one month after 14 of its alleged members were arrested in Russia. ...
- Oil and Gas Cybersecurity: Trends & Response to Survey
October 13, 2022
Trend Micro conducted a study on the state of industrial cybersecurity in the oil and gas, manufacturing, and electricity/energy industries in 2022. Based on the results of a survey of over 900 ICS business and security leaders in the United States, Germany, and Japan, they discuss the characteristics of each industry, the motivations and environmental ...
- Alchimist: A new attack framework in Chinese for Mac, Linux and Windows
October 13, 2022
Cisco Talos has discovered a new single-file command and control (C2) framework the authors call “Alchimist .” Talos researchers found this C2 on a server that had a file listing active on the root directory along with a set of post-exploitation tools. Cisco Talos assesses with moderate-high confidence that this framework is being used in the ...

